Porky and Buddy Pet Health – Humane Gardening

Porky and Buddy

Dear readers,
No one has asked us any questions recently, so apparently you all know everything you need to know about your pets.

Which is great.

But we had nothing to do and were aimlessly wandering through the internet waiting for the snow to melt when we found a cool website that we think you might like, too.

And, like us, you will learn from it.

Check out www.humanegardener.com.

Did you know that wooly caterpillars seek out dead trees to burrow into to survive the winter and they are able to emit a form of antifreeze to protect themselves during severe cold?

A good reason to leave that old stump in your yard.

Put a garden gnome on top of it as a distraction if it bothers you.

Did you know that each year, an estimated 365 million vertebrate animals are killed by motor vehicles in the U.S.?

A good reason, especially as spring finally arrives and animals begin to move around, to slow down and keep a vigilant watch for wild eyes shining from the roadside, especially at dawn and dusk.

Also, a good reason to program the number of a local wildlife rehabilitator into your phone so you can ask for advice about how to handle apparently injured animals and not be injured yourself.

You can find those numbers at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/83977.html.

More from the internet.

Did you know that opossums groom themselves constantly, like cats?

They also attract ticks, like most small wild rodents.

So, If they find a tick, they lick it off and swallow it.

Homely little animals with a gross eating habit, to be sure, but scientists from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies estimate that each possum kills up to 5,000 ticks in a season.

So if you see an opossum seeming to play dead in the road, leave it alone.

We hope this gives you some inspiration about making your own home a place where all creatures (except ticks and fleas) can thrive and teach you and your family about the wonders of the natural world, yes even in winter, even under a foot of snow.

About Oswego County Humane Society

We provide services to promote and strengthen the human-animal bond through fostering-to-adoption programs, spay/neuter clinics, and humane education.

The Oswego County Humane Society is designated under IRS code 501(c)3 as a charitable

Print this entry

1 Comment

Comments are closed.